In Spirit and Truth
Oct 14, 2025 by Addison Crissone
A question has been weighing heavily on my heart lately after reading in the book of John about Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well. A question that I have to ask myself as I examine my own heart and look at the people around me: Are we serving God out of genuine love and gratitude for His saving us from hell, or are we serving Him only for our own convenience and benefit?
Are we claiming to be followers of Christ in public, and yet only followers of social media influences behind the closed doors of our home, never uttering the Lord's name, even in prayer?
In the gospel of John, we read of a Samaritan woman whose name is not given; she was a woman of an unclean background and scandalous ways, who had five husbands and was living with another man at the time of her and Jesus's meeting. She was an outcast, a reject. Those in her society looked down on her because of her history, and so, to avoid their scorn, she was forced to get water in the heat of the day, high in the noontime when the sun shone upon her brightly.
But this is exactly where Jesus met her.
On a hillside of Samaria, a Jew joined a Gentile to extend His offer of grace. To extend to her the gospel.
Are we claiming to be followers of Christ in public, and yet only followers of social media influences behind the closed doors of our home, never uttering the Lord's name, even in prayer?
In the gospel of John, we read of a Samaritan woman whose name is not given; she was a woman of an unclean background and scandalous ways, who had five husbands and was living with another man at the time of her and Jesus's meeting. She was an outcast, a reject. Those in her society looked down on her because of her history, and so, to avoid their scorn, she was forced to get water in the heat of the day, high in the noontime when the sun shone upon her brightly.
But this is exactly where Jesus met her.
On a hillside of Samaria, a Jew joined a Gentile to extend His offer of grace. To extend to her the gospel.
"... but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give
him will become in him like a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(V.14).
him will become in him like a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(V.14).
And then we see the woman's response.
"Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."
(V.15).
(V.15).
Because she did not yet understand that He was the Messiah, she did not know what she was asking. She was asking for this living water (salvation), out of her own convenience, want, and benefit. She knew that if this man could really give her this water, then she would no longer face the scorn of having to travel to the well alone in the heat of the day. She would never thirst again.
So Jesus tried another tactic.
So Jesus tried another tactic.
"Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and
the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true."
The woman said to him, "Sie, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,
but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
(V. 16-20).
Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and
the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true."
The woman said to him, "Sie, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,
but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
(V. 16-20).
She had attempted to change the subject away from her past. But while Jesus wanted her to convert, to believe in Him, he wasn't going to do so without ensuring some type of change on her part. So he used her past in order to reveal His identity to her. We must remember, friends, that when we have been forgiven, God will not bring up our past sins any longer. But if we do not repent, then this sin will haunt us and be used by Him to get our attention.
It was only after He got her attention that he revealed the truth to her.
It was only after He got her attention that he revealed the truth to her.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he does, he will tell us all things."
Jesus said to her, "I who speak am he."
(V.21-26).
Jesus said to her, "I who speak am he."
(V.21-26).
Having told her everything she ever did, Jesus has to give her one more confirmation: His spoken word. He told her exactly who he was, and thus the first Gentile Christian was born.
Friends, we must ensure where our hearts are. Are we serving God by simply going through the motions of life instead of truly living with the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit lighting up our lives and extending to those around us? Or are we serving HIm only on Sunday mornings, or in front of our friends ot give the appearance of true belief and Christianity to 'fit in' or to seem 'righteous'? Perhaps you are only serving Him when it may benefit you- in time, so sorrow and loss, when things don't seem to be going well at all, and He is your last resort, so you pray for a miracle, but come Friday, and you are right back the way you were?
I hope none of this applies to you, my readers.
For we must serve God all the time, no matter where we are or what we are doing- we must serve our Lord. That is our duty, our objective. We must serve him with genuine love, affection, adoration, respect, humility, and gratitude for all that he has done for us, and the work we do to lead others to Him should be an extension of our love for Him.
We should serve the Lord.
We should worship Him.
In Spirit and truth.
Friends, we must ensure where our hearts are. Are we serving God by simply going through the motions of life instead of truly living with the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit lighting up our lives and extending to those around us? Or are we serving HIm only on Sunday mornings, or in front of our friends ot give the appearance of true belief and Christianity to 'fit in' or to seem 'righteous'? Perhaps you are only serving Him when it may benefit you- in time, so sorrow and loss, when things don't seem to be going well at all, and He is your last resort, so you pray for a miracle, but come Friday, and you are right back the way you were?
I hope none of this applies to you, my readers.
For we must serve God all the time, no matter where we are or what we are doing- we must serve our Lord. That is our duty, our objective. We must serve him with genuine love, affection, adoration, respect, humility, and gratitude for all that he has done for us, and the work we do to lead others to Him should be an extension of our love for Him.
We should serve the Lord.
We should worship Him.
In Spirit and truth.
